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Meat hunting vs. Trophy hunting

I grew up being taught that game animals were meant to be taken for food on the table. Getting a big buck or bull was just a bonus that rarely happened. Wyoming is forever indebted to the great Teddy Roosevelt. He made Wyo a state of many firsts (national park, forest, and monument). He also created the scoring system for big game animals. Its great what Teddy did but I feel it has gotten blown way out of proportion. Most trophy hunters now days are so worried about getting a big score than they are meat. Hunting is and always will be a tool for survival. I can't stand to watch these hunting shows where hunters leave the deer or elk overnight to recover them. I bet 90% of them are spoiled by then. I'm not saying that trophy hunting is bad, it just needs to go along with hunting ethics. My boss (from eastern Nebraska) hates hunting around here because he says the majority of hunters shoot tiny deer and they don't get big enough. I can't get him to realize that people around here are mostly trying to get food on the table, not antlers on the wall. He won't even eat his deer or antelope, he gives the meat away because he hates the taste of them. Not trying to start a controversy buy just venting a little here. What are your thoughts on this. I'm not totally against trophy hunting, they leave me a lot of extra game in the woods.

I hear you bird hunter, I've even seen "Trophy" hunters take out head & horns first..and worry about the meat later...much later. This was in 70 degree weather and elk was the game. It was a nice 6x6 but the guys in that group certainly had a flippant attitude about retrieving the meat. Letting it lay in the sun for hours.

Im somewhere in between. I start out each season as a trophy hunter, holding out for something big. As the season goes on I will start to lower my standards on the trophy hunting and eventually I just want to have some success and shoot something with my bow. I enjoy the meat that comes from the hardwork of harvesting game, but that's not solely why I hunt. I love the challenge of pursuing the animal, especially with archery gear. Trophy hunting takes more time and patience, and to take down a big mature animal that has been chased by hunters for years is far more challenging than shooting a yearling that has no idea why that two-legged thing keeps following him around the hills. However, that younger animal is much more tasty. This year while archery elk hunting in Wy I had plans of taking a nice bull. The unit was good for them, and I saw them almost daily, but wasn't getting any shot opportunities and the bulls wouldn't come in to any call sequence we tried. After six days of hard hunting I was itching to tag something, and a lonely spike screwed up and stopped 40 yards broadside. Knowing I was about out of time to hunt, I shot the bull and the rest is in the freezer. Whether I am strictly trophy hunting or just out for a little success it's about the hunt for me and always will be. I respect others choice to hunt how they want, and I expect the same out of them.....different strokes for different folks.

This has been discussed many times. I myself am a trophy hunter. For me I love the meat as well as my family. For me what trophy hunting is that when I get a tag I will only take a animal that is mature and is bigger in score then the last Buck or bull I've taken. I will go home without filling my tag if I am unable to find the animal I'm looking for. For me I feel I'm letting the animals grow to their full potential by passing on smaller animals rather then just filling my tag. For me it's how I hunt rite or wrong is opinion. For me I make it a challenge for myself. If I wanted the animal just for meat there is no challenge for me and I prefer to have a challenge when I hunt. As for the pack out I usually pack out the complete animal in one trip. I typically have a friend or two to help. If solo meat first then hide and horns.
I also like you where taught that hunting was for the meat. I still feel that way and will always take care of the meat so I can feed my family. But if I choose to hold out for a trophy then shoot a animal for the meat only then to me it my choice to do so just as it is for you to choose to hunt for meat.

touchy topic for sure. i love my wild game meat but if that was the only reason i hunted.... would make no economic sense to me, i could by a whole beef and more,for the money that generaly goes to my hunting, that said, i go for the bigger bull or buck not not above shooting a smaller one at end of season. the bigger ones have lived thier lives and are on the downward spiral of thier lives. thats how i justify it il take head out first if it is big and if temps are right, if temps arent right, meat is first out after hiding head.

Well, since you brought it up. My feelings are even stronger towards trophy hunters as they are for hunters who take long shots. I'm not liked on hunting forums by some, because of my opinions are strong, and i'm not shy about sharing them.

I don't have much use for trophy hunters. For me, it's just a form of bragging, and I was brought up by my dad to never brag. He taught me to hunt to give the animal some sort of chance to use it's natural senses. Which is why I only hunt on the ground with no stands, open sights, and close shots. (still hunting) He also taught me to hunt for meat to feed the family. This is why he never took pictures of the kills, and I never have either. Antlers are left at the kill, unless I have to prove minimum points. Then they are brought back to the kill, and left there.

Hunting shows pretty much make me sick for so many reasons.

That's my honest answer. Can you handle it without being offended? I won't tell you how to hunt, but if you ask me how I feel about it. I'll tell you.

Alot of it for me depends on the area, what is realistic for the area and how hard the tag is to draw. This year Im going to a 2nd choice antelope unit that still has tags leftover. It has good antelope but its not a trophy unit so I wont be as picky as I will be in the unit Im building up points to draw again in a few years. I wont shoot an animal Im not excited about killing. That doesnt mean it has to be a monster, just something Im happy with. I like to out smart them. Making a good stalk and taking them without them ever knowing Im there gets me excited. 1/2 of why I hunt is just to get out in the outdoors away from the rest of the world. I like to punch my tag but it doesnt bother me to come home with it still in my pocket either.

I'm a hybrid hunter. I usually trophy hunt in the beginning of the hunt and near the end I will try to take some meat home. I enjoy traveling to different states to hunt and trying to find the biggest animal possible. It doesn't matter what you shoot as long as your happy with it and it is done legally and ethically. What I don't understand is, why are meathunters that don't like trophy hunters on a trophy hunting forum. "Eastmans.com THE MAGAZINE FOR WESTERN TROPHY HUNTERS SINCE 1987".